Monday, March 24, 2008

 

Do these guys hear what they are saying?

I cleaned a little in my messy garage Sunday. Besides a little junk, I had two old car batteries. You shouldn't keep old batteries, they really can explode. I don't know the science behind a battery, but I do know it has sulfuric acid, lead and copper plates. These are all very salvageable commodities, but could pose an explosive hazard. I put the batteries in the back of my truck to recycle today.

After a very tiring swim at the MACAC, I stopped by AutoZone on the way home. I asked the clerk if they took old batteries. I was told yes if you had a receipt showing you had bought a new battery at AutoZone. I asked why, don't you actually make money by recycling car batteries? He said they only took Auto Zone batteries. I wasn't buying his bull so I said that if my car had a Sears battery and I bought an Auto Zone battery they would take it rather than charging me a "core charge" or refund me the "core charge" when I brought back the Sears battery. He said it messed up their inventory of batteries on hand if they bought old batteries; however, they would do me a favor and take the old battery off my hands. Still not buying his bull, I said thanks and left for Walmart.

The bull got a lot deeper at Walmart. I asked if they bought old batteries to recycle. They said no, but they would refund me my "core charge" if I had a receipt. The last "core charge" I paid was $3.00 last year when copper was half the price it is today. I suspect the same is true for sulfuric acid and lead. He said that he would do me a favor and take the old battery off my hands. I said wouldn't that be screwing me twice if I lost my receipt and they took my old battery for nothing and made at least $3.00 on it? Frustrated, I left the batteries. I was on my way to the house, when I had an idea. I knew I was right about these stores selling old batteries to scrap yards, so I drove to Westheimer Recycling. I asked the guy there if they bought old car batteries. He said yes, we pay $3.00 each for old car batteries. Mad as hell, I drove back to Walmart and told the guy I wanted my two car batteries back.

I didn't tell him I could sell them up the street for $6.00, which I did after I left. He went on to tell me that they had to pay $1.50 each for someone to haul off their old batteries. Now I know Walmart is no fool. They are clever enough to cut off most of their employee hours at 39 per week so they can be classified as part time and thus, pay they no benefits. The guy then went on to say that Walmart was having to lock up all their old batteries because people we stealing them by the hundreds when they we just stacked outside. I asked him why Walmart cared if these old batteries were stolen, wasn't that saving WalMart $1.50 a battery? I also asked if they had to pay $1.50 to haul off the old batteries, why did they want a deposit until the old battery was returned?

He had no answer.

Comments:
Nothing is free, why should these companies pay the fee for your waste. They pay fees to disposal companies for disposing of bad batteries. Everyone wants everything for free. Try taking it to your local dump and see what happens,see how far your bitching will go with the city employees.
 
I believe I would try to remain anonymous too if I made a comment even dumber than what I heard at AutoZone or Walmart.

Either thia guy doesn't know how to read or has comprehension issues.

Petie, this reply show be a lot funnier than you found the original post
 
I wish I could spell and hit the right key or edit a comment.

thia s/b this
show s/b should
 
Maybe anonymous is a Wal-Mart employee. I have learned to never try and use reason with clerks ... count it as another casualty of the death of Mom and Pops; the ability to talk to the circus manager rather than just a clown.
 
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